Metal-pump.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

F. J. WICH.

METAL PUMP.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. so, 190s.

`UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1905.

PATENT Orifice,

FERDINAND JOHN YIOH, OF BROADHEATH, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE LINOTYPE COMPANY, LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENG-LAND.

METAL-PUMP.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent No. 782,299, dated February 14, 1905.

Application filed April 30. 1908. Serial No. 155,063.

To 1N 'mh/)711, ift www cm1/cern Be it known that I, FERDINAND J onx VICH, otl The Linotype Yorks Broadheath, Altrincham, in the county of Chester, England, have invented certain new and useful 1mprovements in Metal-Pumps; and I do hereby declare the following' to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in metal-pumps specially applicable to stereoplate-casting' machines such as that described in the specification ot' British Letters Patent No. 2,525, February 8, 1900, and known to the printing' trade as the autoplate -machine. Taking' this machine as typical ofthe class otl machines to which the present invention relates, experience with the said machine has shown that after the casting-chamber has been tilled with metal the metal in the nozzle otl the delivery-pipe sets, whereupon the return or down stroke (generally a quick one) ot' the pump-piston establishes a vacuum in the pipe, and the continuance ot' the stroke against this vacuum strains the machine. Then when the nozzle and the segmental back that carries the matrix are moved awayt'rom the core or cylinder air rushes throug'h the nozzle into the delivery-pipe with g'reat torce, mixes with the molten metal therein, and lorces some ot' it out through the nozzle onto the newly-cast stereoplate, the matrix, and the adjacent parts, doing' more or less damage and preventing' the working' of the machine being' proceeded with until the mischietl has been remedied.

The invention consists in means for preventing' the mischief above described. These are illustrated in the. accompanying' lig'in'cs, of Which-- Fig'ure l is a vertical sectional elevation through the casting'mechanism; and Fig'. 2, a plan, on an enlarged scale, of the bottom plate ot' the valve-cage.

To facilitate the comprehension of the invention, the parts that are reproduced from the previous patent are called by the names and indicated by the same references as are used in the specitication ot' that patent.

B is the seg'mental back, and C the core or cylinder, the arc-shaped space between them being' the casting-chamber or mold t'or the auto-plate or turtle.

)I is the matrix or indented ilong'. It lies 55 upon the concave surface ot' the segmental back B, to which it is held by two clamping' devices, one in t'ront and oncbehiud the back and core. Each device consists ol a bar 130, fast on a shaft 122-), pivoted in ears 19S, (the 60 two illustrated conceal the "fellow-ears. respectively, behind them.) a clamping-strip131, having' a turned-down lip 132, a slide 12T, carrying' the respective ears 12S, and a l'ixed g'uide 126 for the slide 12T.

66 is the pii1i1p-c),'limlel'; (SS, the piston-rod; 69, the pump-pistou', T, the throat from the Cylinder; 111, the nozzle ot the throat, adapted to lit metal-tight against the core C: 112, the chamber between the throat T and thc 7O nozzle 111, and 113 the L-shaped outlet-passage from the latter into the casting-chamber. The top corner ot' the pump-cylinder 66 has an orifice in it to one side ot' the piston-rod 68, and 90 is a valve-seating around its edg'e. 91 75 is an induction-valve controlling' the said orilice, and 92 is its rod.

All the parts just described are reproduced from the previous patent already mentioned. The means Yfor supplying' metal to the pump- SO cylinder (5G and working' the valve ill) and piston G9 are both omitted t'rom the ligure, because they are not atl'ected by the present invention. The segmental back l, pump l), throat T, and nozzle lll have all au intermit- 35 tent reciprocating' motion to and from the casting' position illustrated by the tull lines ot' Fig'. 1 to that illustrated by the dot-and-dash lilies otl the same lig'ure and in which the pump is at rest, the metal-supply valve tothe pump 90 open, and the matrix clear ol the nl-nvly-cast autoplate. This intermittent motion and the means tor imparting' it are both as heretofore and need not be described here, because they are not affected by the present invention, 95 and the reader is ret'errcd to the specitication of the prior patent for any particulars thereof which he may desire.

The present invention consists in the combination with the intermediate chamber 112 of a valve adapted to open the said chamber to the air as soon as the pump-piston starts on its return stroke and to be floated up by the rising metal to close it again during the working stroke of the said piston. The combination includes any type of valve that will act in the way just described; but a ball-valve in a cage projecting downward for a suitable distance into the chamber 112 and having its seat above the latter is preferred.

1 is the ball-val ve inclosed in the cage formed by the two plates 2 and 3. Both these plates are screwed into the mouth of an inverted cup 4, which is connected with the intermediate chamber 112 by having its mouth screwed down through the top thereof. The bottom plate 3 of the two 'plates is dished in and has a spider bottom this bottom being far enough below the plate 2 to allow of the play of the valve 1 between the bottoni 5 and the valve-seating 6. This seating is in the plate 2 and is higher than the roof of the chamber 112.

7 is the air-port between the valve-cage and the interior of the cup 4L, and 8 the port between the said interior and the outer air.

The action of the invention is as follows: At the moment when the pump-piston 69 starts on its upward or working stroke to lift metal up the throat T and force it through the nozzle 111 into the casting-chamber both the metal-supply valve 91 and the valve 1 are open. The rise of the piston 69 closes the the valve 91. As soon as the metal above the piston 69 has been raised to about the level of the chamber 112 the nozzle 111 and the parts connected with it are moved up toward the core C into the position shown by the full lines of Fig. 1. The segmental back B, with the matrix M in position upon it, is next moved up to the core C. The pump-piston 69 continues to rise, the metal consequently rising in the chamber 112, expelling the air before it through the port 7 and floating the valve 1 up to its seating 6, closes it, thereby preventing the escape of metal through the port 7. The piston 69 continues to rise and fills the casting-chamber. W' hen the casting operation has been completed, the pump-piston 69 starts on its return or downward stroke. The metal in the nozzle 111, chamber 112, and throat T, follows it. and the valve 1 drops onto the spider-bottom 5, thereby opening the said nozzle, chamber, and throat to the air, which fiows into them freely through the port 7 and the spider-bottomI 5, thereby effectually obviating the formation of any vacuum in the same. As soon as the piston 69 has reached the bottom of its stroke, the segmental back B, with the matrix M and the newly-cast autoplate or turtle on it, are moved downward from the core C, the nozzle 111 and the parts connected therewith to the rear into the position illustrated by the dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 1, and as the access of air into the chamber 112 and throat T was established before the nozzle 111 started from the core C there could not be any rush of air inwardly through the nozzle 111.

I claim- In a machine of the class named, the combination of'a mold; a pump-nozzle adapted to be moved up to the said mold to make metaltight contact therewith; a pump adapted to feed metal through the nozzle into the mold by its lifting stroke; a throat connecting the pump-cylinder with the nozzle; a port between the throat and the outer air; and a valve controlling the said port adapted to close it against the escape of metal by being lioated up to its seat by the rise of metal in the throat, and to open it to admit air into the throat when the metal descends in the said throat.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

FERDINAND JOHN WICH. 

